An American fencer may need price his crew a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympics with his outburst at a contest earlier this week.
Curtis McDowald kicked and broken a free-standing banner close to the competitors space Monday following a loss on the Pan American fencing championships in Lima, Peru − main to an entire disqualification for the U.S. males’s épée crew, and a devastating blow for its Olympic qualification hopes.
McDowald, a 2020 Olympian, stormed off the competitors strip after being penalized with a crimson card on the decisive level within the semifinals towards Colombia. Video footage exhibits him subsequently placing his foot by means of a banner, prompting one other member of USA Fencing to aim to calm him down.
McDowald, 27, was later proven a black card, stopping the U.S. crew from competing within the bronze-medal match and gave it zero qualifying factors towards Olympic qualification. In accordance with Worldwide Fencing Federation rankings, the U.S. had entered the Pan-American Video games because the top-ranked crew within the males’s épée occasion.
“We’re disenchanted by Curtis’s actions and remorse that they’ve harmed Group USA’s possibilities of fielding a males’s épée crew for the 2024 Olympics,” USA Fencing stated in a press release.
“The hill that our males’s épée crew should climb to qualify for Paris has now grow to be a lot steeper. We’re decided to give attention to supporting these athletes and their coaches as they proceed to pursue this Olympic dream.”
The nationwide governing physique additionally stated McDowald had been faraway from the Pan-American Championships crew, following a listening to, and he won’t be eligible to compete on the 2023 Fencing World Championships subsequent month.
McDowald didn’t instantly reply to an Instagram message from USA TODAY Sports activities searching for remark Wednesday.
The U.S. has not gained an Olympic medal within the males’s crew épée occasion since 1932. The American crew of Jacob Hoyle, Yeisser Ramirez and McDowald positioned final on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, shedding to the eventual gold-medal successful crew, Japan, within the first spherical.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
